And if I still had eyes, then I would surely cry

Happy Halloween everyone. I hope you had fun at your Halloween parties this weekend and didn't get sick from eating too much candy. In honor of Halloween, I'm writing about Zombina and the Skeletones. If you haven't been fortunate enough to hear Nobody Likes You yet, you're in for a treat!

I found out about Zombina and the Skeletones either late last year or early this year. I can't really remember. Someone on my LJ friends list had mentioned them, and so I decided to check them out.

Zombina and the Skeletones are rock 'n' roll from Liverpool. But they're also a surf/rockabilly/punk/horror rock hybrid and they sing songs about graves, vampires and of course zombies. They definitely would've fit in perfectly at Drop Dead this year (they played last year I think.)

The first song I heard by them was Nobody Likes You. Probably one of the funniest songs I've ever heard, but not in a cheesy, novelty sort of way. I mean it's a really good song, about how hard it is to make friends when you're dead. I imagine it's a big problem. But really, the song is great and you're going to want to listen to it over and over again.

Believe it or not I was a beauty queen, yeah
I was the toast of the rock and roll scene
I had all the friends that money could buy
But I would trade it all in just to be alive

If they could see me now
That little gang of mine
You can bet your ass that they'd run a mile
If my friends could see me now....

Nobody likes you when you're dead
It just ain't right
Just 'cause I'm biting on your head
There's no need to be impolite
And if I still had eyes
Then I would surely cry
Nobody likes you when you're dead
And that's the story of my life.

See the repulsion on your faces
Have you looked in a mirror lately?
Have you ever been a teenage dream?
My daddy was a tv, my mommy was a magazine
The only man that I ever loved
Was the same motherfucker who cut me up
He cut me up in a special way,
He made me what I am today
And if my friends could see me now....

Nobody Likes You (from Taste the Blood of Zombina and the Skeletones) *highly recommended*
I Love Rock 'n' Roll (from I Was a Human Bomb for the F.B.I.)
I Was a Human Bomb for the F.B.I. (from I Was a Human Bomb for the F.B.I.)
The Count of Five (from Silver Bullet)
Meteorite (from Taste the Blood of Zombina and the Skeletones)

Zombina and the Skeletones have a ton of mp3s for download through their site. Go here to hear more from them.

Here are some more songs that remind me of this scared day.

Mon Frere is a band from Mountlake Terrace, Washington. They've got a rockin keyboardist with a mad wicked wail. Their single is called Real Vampires Don't Get Shitfaced (Fighting Mad). Awesomest title ever or what? Listen to it.

Mon Frere- Real Vampires Don't Get Shitfaced (Fighting Mad) (from Real Vampires)

When I was like 10, I was obsessed with my DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince tape, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. I knew every song word for word, including A Nightmare on My Street. Still a great song to listen to.

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince- A Nightmare on my Street (from He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper)

Whenever I hear the Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil, I always think of the final scene in Interview With a Vampire (even though the version that played in the movie was done by Guns 'n' Roses).

Rolling Stones- Sympathy For the Devil (from Beggars Banquet)

Ever since I saw the movie Jeepers Creepers, the song Jeepers Creepers has always made me feel a little weird. Even when Siouxsie and the Banshees sing a similar chorus in their song Peek-a-Boo, it gives me chills. But Peek-a-Boo is a fantastic song. The accordion in it definitely bills up the creepiness. I love it!

Siouxsie and the Banshees- Peek-a-Boo (from Peepshow)

And finally, the quintessential monster song, Monster Mash.

Dr. Demento- Monster Mash (from Dr. Demento's 20th Anniversary Collection)

I see you every time I open up my eyes

I know a lot of us tend to let music reviews that we read sway our opinions. You might not want to admit it, but if a magazine or blog that you respect tells you that a record by so and so is the best thing you'll ever hear, you'll probably be inclined to believe them. And if the same said magazine or blog tells you that the new record by another so and so is the biggest pile of cow manure ever made, then you'll probably be inclined to believe them about that as well. I'm definitely guilty of this.

So, I try to make an effort to listen to something first, make up my own mind, and then read what other people have to say about it. I don't want to decide that I hate something before I've even heard it, just because someone else didn't like it.

I heard Lansing-Dreiden's cd, The Incomplete Triangle (Kemado, 2004), long before I read any reviews about it. I really loved songs like I.C.U., Metal on a Gun, and Glass Corridor. Other people around me seemed to like it as well, and so it wasn't like I was the odd girl out, really digging some random record that sucked to everyone else.

However, recently, I came across Pitchfork's review of the cd. They gave it a 3.7. This is the first paragraph from the review.

Shrouded in put-on obscurity and not a little cocksure bravado, Lansing-Dreiden live by the totally unoriginal posit that image is everything. A collection of early-twenties college students transplanted from Miami to New York (where else), they've relied on the easily controlled written word to build a foppish, pseudo-intellectual house of cards that folds on even the slightest examination. Refusing to either play live or give face-to-face interviews, they pepper carefully constructed e-mails with oafish Aristotelian philosophy and that bold, naïve conviction exclusive to the young

If I had read that, and seen the rating they gave before hearing the cd, I'd definitely be discouraged from listening to any of their songs.

OK yeah, so it's a little annoying that they refuse to give face to face interviews, will not allow themselves to be photographed, and also refuse to tour. But I think their record is definitely way better than a 3.7. I think a lot of people who reviewed them negatively held their "image" in higher regards than their music. Their decision to stay "hidden" and keep out of the public eye probably distracts a lot of people from their music. Although, that's their choice, and to each his own I guess.

What I like about this band is when I first heard The Incomplete Triangle, so many of the songs were showcased different genres. In this record you've got 60s guitar rock, shoegaze, post-rock, and new wave. Yes these styles have been done before, but rarely does a band do all of them on the same album, and which makes Lansing-Dreiden unique.

If you're a fan of bands like The Stone Roses, My Blood Valentine, and The Clientele, you might dig these tracks from Lansing-Dreiden. And if you're a fan of Television, The Mamas and the Pappas, and New Order you also might dig these tracks. I really like I.C.U. because it's kind of a cross between Depeche Mode and New Order, but Glass Corridor is probably my favorite.

(from The Incomplete Triangle)

Lansing-Dreiden- I.C.U.
Lansing-Dreiden- Metal on a Gun
Lansing-Dreiden- Glass Corridor

And when she saw what she had done.....

AMC has been airing Monsterfest since Sunday. They're showing horror movies for a whole week, in honor of Halloween. I'm kind of disappointed with some of their selections (like do we really need to see Tremors more than 2 times?) but some of the movies I've seen have been really good. I'm such a wuss when it comes to scary movies, so I don't know why I like watching them so much. Click here for the entire Monsterfest schedule.

I just finished watching Strait-Jacket, starring the legendary Joan Crawford. I haven't seen too many Joan Crawford films, but Strait Jacket definitely exhibits that sort of campy over acting thing that Joan Crawford was famous and loved for. Although, I think actors in those older movies usually overacted most of the time anyway. But that was the style then, so they really couldn't help themselves.

Now I think that Joan Crawford was scary enough in real life (Have you ever seen Mommie Dearest? ), but Joan really outdoes herself in this movie. Strait-Jacket was a modern twist on the Lizzy Borden story. There's even a part in the movie where Joan Crawford's character, Lucy, thinks she hears two little girls singing:

Lucy Harbin took an axe
And gave her husband 40 whacks
And when she saw what she had done
She gave his girlfriend 41.

The movie starts out in a bar. A man is having drinks with his old girlfriend while his wife is out of town. His wife, Lucy, is seven years older than he is, and he really only married her because she had property.

He decides to take his ex back to his place, knowing that his wife won't be home until the following day. He takes her into the bedroom, and they go at it. Little does he know that his 3 year old daughter, Carol, is awake, and can see everything that's going on.

He also doesn't know that his wife took the midnight train, and is on her way home.

When Lucy gets to her house, she can't wait to see her husband. But when she walks up to the window to catch a of glimpse of him, she sees him in bed with another woman.

She snaps. She sees an ax in a tree stump, and tugs it out.

She walks into the house, past her daughter, and into her bedroom. Without much hesitation, she chops off her husbands head, and then his ex's head.

Then she continues to hack away at their bodies, her daughter witnessing the entire thing.

Lucy gets put away in a mental institution. 20 years later, she's released, much to the dismay of her doctor, who doesn't think she's completely well yet.

Her daughter Carol, now all grown up, is anxious and eager to see her mother again and catch up on lost time. She wants to show her mother her artwork (she's a sculptor), introduce her to her boyfriend Michael, and regain the close relationship they once had.

But Lucy is timid and nervous, and finds it hard to integrate back into the society. Carol tries to help. She takes her out shopping for shoes, jewelry, a stylish wig, and a hip new outfit to make her feel more confident about herself. But the new Lucy is maybe too confident (she flirts relentlessly with Michael one night over drinks), and Carol thinks that maybe her mother wasn't ready to leave the asylum after all.

Lucy constantly has bad dreams about the murders. She think she sees dead bodies, and hears things (like the two girls mocking her) and she completely freaks out when anyone mentions anything about the asylum to her. She almost gets obsessed with how she was 20 years ago, which is bad when you consider what she did 20 years ago. She hates what she did, but can't help remembering it almost every second of every day. And sometimes she just can't control her rage. Once the bodies start piling up, you pretty much know who's responsible for them. Or do you? The ending was kind of shocking to me, but I guess you'd have to see for yourself.

Strait Jacket was pretty decent though. I couldn't sleep this morning, and woke up around 6:30. I decided to watch some television until I got tired again, but I just got caught up in the movie. So maybe I'll go take a nap now. Remember that Monsterfest continues until Monday morning, so be sure to check it out for Michael Myers, Pinhead, Freddie Krueger, Jason, and those gross wormy things from Tremors.

Here's the song Joan Crawford by Blue ֖yester Cult. Listen for this part in the song:

Christina....mother's home.
Christina....come to mother.

Seriously, if you haven't seen Mommie Dearest, you really need to. I just saw it about two weeks ago for the 100th time, and it still gives me chills.

Blue ֖yster Cult- Joan Crawford (from Fire of Unknown Origin)

Here's another interesting fun fact: Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte is on right now, and the main characters in the movie are Bette Davis (Charlotte) and Olivia De Havilland (Miriam). Initially, Joan Crawford was supposed to play Miriam (the movie was supposed to be another Davis/Crawford hit like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, which had been made 3 years earlier). But when filming started, Joan was already too ill to do the part. So Bette Davis suggested her best friend Olivia for the role. It's well known that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford hated each other immensely. On the first day of shooting, Bette and Olivia toasted each other with Coca-Cola, a clear stab at Joan, whose husband was an executive at Pepsi. See, actresses were just as catty back then as they are now.

Ok, hopefully I'll have an actual music post for you later on today.

*pictures from Horror Talk.

String Quartet Tributes

The first String Quartet Tribute cd I heard was Whisper: The String Quartet Tribute to The Cure. It was in rotation at WUOG and I played a track off of it during one of my early morning rotation shifts. Instrumental versions of some of my favorite Cure songs, I was in heaven! For those of you who don't know anything about the String Quartet Tribute series, I'll fill you in.

Vitamin Records is a Los Angeles based label that releases string quartet, lounge and electronic tributes to different pop and rock artists. Their very first release was The String Quartet Tribute to Led Zeppelin. It's definitely really interesting hearing some of these songs done in a completely different fashion. But for the most part, you can always tell what the song is once it starts playing.

All the songs are completely instrumental, and it's really quite impressive the way they interpret them. Some songs that you'd never think would sound beautiful, like Slayer's South of Heaven, sound amazing when played in a new way. There are a myriad number of String Quartet Tribute cds, including ones for Radiohead, Bjork, Sonic Youth, Jeff Buckley, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Weezer, Pink Floyd, Elliot Smiths, and Guns 'n' Roses, just to name a few. I think there are over 170 in all, which is pretty amazing.

I really love the covers of these albums as well, because they try to mimic the actual album covers of the artists they're covering. For instance the cover for The String Quartet Tribute to the Smiths looks like it could've been the cover of an actual Smiths record.

And clearly, the cover of The String Quartet Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers is similar to the cover of Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

There are lot of great String Quartet Tribute songs. It might seem like I got a little carried away posting all of these tracks. Ok, so I definitely got carried away. But I couldn't help myself. So many of them are really good. So have at 'em.

You Shook Me All Night Long (from Back in the Baroque: The String Tribute to AC/DC)

3 Libras (from The String Quartet Tribute to A Perfect Circle)

Human Behaviuor (from Ice: The String Tribute to Bjork)

Last Goodbye (from The String Quartet Tribute to Jeff Buckley)

Clocks (from The String Quartet Tribute to Coldplay)

Boys Don't Cry (from Whisper: The String Quartet Tribute to The Cure)

Girls on Film (from The String Quartet Tribute to Duran Duran)

She Don't Use Jelly (from The String Quartet Tribute to The Flaming Lips)

Bizarre Love Triangle (from The String Quartet Tribute to Joy Division and New Order)

All These Things That I Have Done (from The String Quartet Tribute to The Killers)

Immigrant Song (from The String Quartet tribute to Led Zeppelin)

The Beautiful People (from The String Quartet Tribute to Marilyn Manson)

Intertiatic E.S.P. (from The String Quartet Tribute to The Mars Volta)

Closer (from The String Quartet Tribute to Nine Inch Nails)

Come As You Are (from The String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind)

Wonderwall (from Decadence and Vanity: The String Quartet tribute to Oasis)

Here Comes Your Man (from The String Quartet Tribute to The Pixies)

No One Knows (from Strings for the Deaf: The String Quartet Tribute to Queens of the Stone Age)

No Surprises (from Strung Out On Ok Computer: The String Quartet Tribute to Radiohead)

Soul to Squeeze (from The String Quartet Tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers)

South of Heaven (from The Evil You Dread: The String Quartet Tribute to Slayer)

Buddy Holly (from The String Quartet Tribute to Weezer)

Seven Nation Army (from The String Quartet Tribute to The White Stripes)

You could meet somebody who really loves you

Wow, check me out posting a little something every day. Go me! Don't expect it to keep going this way though. I'm sure Comcast will screw up our internet connection again at some point, since it's like a weekly occurrence now.

First of all, I'd like to the mention that The Prids have 3 new songs for you to listen to on their myspace page: Like Hearts, Back Up Slow, and Infection (Instrumental). The Prids make the best instrumental tracks ever. The 4th track up for your listening pleasure is the demo of All That You Want, but that's been around for awhile now.

The Prids also have a new drummer. His name is Joey Maas. I know he's gotta be awesome if he's playing with them. Their next show is in Portland, OR at Towne Lounge on November 5th. The band goes into the studio on December 5th to start recording their new album. It should be ready for release in March or April of next year. I can't wait, since they haven't put out an album since Love Zero in 2003. Actually, that's not very long to wait for another album. And The Prids have definitely been keeping super busy with all of the touring that they do. With the release of the new record, the Prids' new label will also be re-releasing old material and previously unreleased recordings (YAY). So looks like next year will be full of amazing music from The Prids

Yesterday afternoon, I watched The Smiths Complete Picture DVD. While I usually skip over it, I decided to watch the video for How Soon is Now? In the video, there's a girl with blonde hair in a red sweater, images of buildings and smoke stacks, a couple of shots of the band performing. Nothing terribly exciting. I have to not hear the song for awhile to really appreciate it, and to remember how epic it sounded when I first heard it. Classic Morrissey lyrics, but the song almost sounds bigger than the men who were playing it. Before I even knew who the Smiths were, I'd heard that song a million times. And it's probably the most recognized Smiths song there is. I think There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (the only one that I can play on guitar), is probably the favorite although Rubber Ring is mine.

The cover version of How Soon is Now? that I know best is the one done by Love Spit Love. It's the theme song for the television show Charmed, and was featured on the soundtrack for the movie The Craft. Love Spit Love was fronted by Richard Butler, lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs. Still, one of my favorite quotes ever is one from Mr. Butler:

"Just because you call yourself psychedelic doesn't mean you are psychedelic."

Brilliant.

Below are a few different versions of How Soon Is Now? I was going to post the original, original, but Morrissey doing it at Earl's Court is just as good, yeah?

Morrissey- How Soon is Now (from Live at Earl's Court)
Love Spit Love- How Soon is Now (from the Charmed soundtrack)
The String Quartet- How Soon is Now (from Tribute to the Smiths)
Afghan Whigs- How Soon is Now
Quicksand- How Soon is Now

eNTERTAINME.nt, Boulevard, and Girls on Film

Tonight, eNTERTAINME.nt, Boulevard, and Girls on Film are playing at the Drunken Unicorn. I've never seen Girls on Film before, but eNTERTAINME.nt and Boulevard both put on great live shows.

I've written about eNTERTAINME.nt before. I haven't seen them since last year, and unfortunately I can't make it to tonight's show. All of my after show rides fell through. All three of them! Hopefully Trey and Steven won't be too upset with me. eNTERTAINME.nt is signed to Luminal and they're playing the big Drop Dead Festival next week in New York. So if you're going to Drop Dead, be sure to catch their set.

eNTERTAINME.nt- Patroness (from Patroness)

I saw Boulevard for the first time when they played a show with eNTERTAINME.nt last year at the 40 Watt in Athens. I actually had English classes with both Donavan (drummer) and Emily (ex keyboardist) during college. Boulevard is a great band to see live. Benji Barton is an extremely charismatic frontman and the band has a really fun guitar pop sound. They just released a new record called Vice and Daring which you can get here. You can listen to a few tracks from the new album on their myspace page.

Boulevard- Marie (from Vice and Daring) *highly recommended*
Boulevard- Here's to the Days (from Signal)

Dancetronic Glam Wave. That's how Girls on Film describe their sound, and they certainly pay homage to the whole new wave 80s sound in their songs. They definitely dress the part, too (as you can see from picture below). These girls are from Tallahassee, FL, and recently released their album Danceteria. Trey says that they're a blast to see live. Hopefully they'll come back around to Atlanta soon so I'll get a chance to see them.

Girls on Film- Vaporized (sample from Danceteria)

After writing all that, now I REALLY wish I could go tonight, especially since it's Roman's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROMAN! I'm sure everyone's having a great time rocking out. I hope they're rocking out for me too.

Official Sites:
eNTERTAINME.nt
Boulevard
Girls on Film

Myspace Sites:
eNTERTAINME.nt
Boulevard
Girls on Film

Paste Magazine's Rock 'n' Reel Festival (0ct. 22d & 23rd)

Paste Magazine's 1st annual Rock 'n Reel Festival hits Decatur this weekend on Saturday October 22nd, and Sunday October 23rd. Over 30 bands will be playing, including Cary Brothers (a favorite of Dodge's) and Low, as well as local acts such as Hope For AGoldenSummer, Red Letter Agent, Anthony David and Elf Power. You'll also be able to check out over 12 hours of short films during the festival. Who doesn't love a good short film. It's very IFC. By the way, did I show you guys my IFC shirts that I got during Threadless' last $10 sale.

Yeah, they're awesome. I love them.

So if you don't have any plans this weekend, head on down to Decatur for the Rock 'n' Reel festival. And if you do have plans, well work them around the festival. Go here for more info on the lineup, schedule, and ticket prices.

They still need volunteers to help out during the festival, so if you're interested, please send an email to Kate Kiefer at kate@pastemagazine.com. You'll get in for free (which is always a plus) AND you'll get a free tshirt.

Oh and here are two songs:

Elf Power- Drawing Flies (from Walking with the Begger Boys)
Cary Brothers- loneliest Girl in the World (from Cary's website [:)

Finally, I'd like all of you to check out What We All Want, a great blog from a fellow ATLien, Austin. Go over and say hi, and add him to your links and visit him every day like good little blogging boys and girls.

Ok, I think that's all I had for today. Until next time people. Oh you all better be listening to those Nikka Costa tracks. Or I'm going to hunt you down and make you eat cold brussel sprouts for breakfast. Or something equally as horrible.

Baby don't fuck around put your back into it

I got to see Nikka Costa Monday night for the first time ever. FUCKING AMAZING. I wrote about Nikka back in August, and if you read that post, you know how much I absolutely adore her music. I never could've imagined that her live show could possibly be as good as it was. She really blew me away. The following is what I wrote in my LJ.

Nikka Costa played here in Atlanta at Smiths Olde Bar. I've always wondered why she isn't more popular, and now I'm convinced that everyone NEEDS to hear her sing. Not only did she keep her energy up throughout the entire show (while running around and shaking every part of her body non stop) but the girl sang her ass off. Girlfriend worked it out like she was broke and the rent was due today. I mean, no one on earth should be able to sing THAT well. Vocally, she's up there with Aretha, Gladys, and Patti. Tickets were kind of expensive (especially for the venue, $19) but after the performance she put on last night, I can honestly say that I'd spend three times as much to see her again.

Nikka opened up for Lenny Kravitz when he played the Tabernacle earlier this year. I didn't go to that show so I'm glad that she came back to Atlanta for her headlining tour.

I recorded a few short video clips of Nikka performing at the beginning of the show. Her performances during the first couple of songs were tame compared to the stuff she was doing in the middle of the show and during the encores. She was all over the place, straddling the microphone stand, grinding on the guitar players, and shaking her ass harder and better than anyone I've ever seen. And I still think that there's a black girl in her somewhere. There just has to be.

Matthew picked me up around 8:20 and we got to Smiths Olde Bar a little before 9. I thought that Smiths was kind of a weird place for Nikka to play, but I guess there was no where else really where she could play. Maybe when she gets more popular (and it just has to happen) she'll play the Variety Playhouse or something.

There were already a lot of people upstairs when we got there. A really diverse group too. I was really glad that Nikka had so many people come out to see her. The opening band was called DriveBlind. They're originally from Scotland (the lead singer asked the crowd if we could understand him when he was talking in between songs) but they now live in LA. They were ok. Kind of your run of the mill modern rockers. But they did have awesome accents and the lead singer kind of reminded me of Tom Chaplin from Keane (looks wise, not voice wise). They played for about 30 minutes or so. By the end of their set, the room was packed. Michelle had made it to the show by then, so she and I got up closer to the stage while Matthew went to get a drink. And then the waiting began. That's always the worst part about shows for me, the waiting in between bands. And last night it seemed like Nikka was never going to come out on stage. But she finally did around 10:45.

Nikka opened up with Til I Get to U, the first track from Can'tneverdidnothin' and it sounded awesome. Her band was amazing. She has these two guitar players who are just really wicked good. Her piano player was phenomenal as well. The 2nd song she played was Like a Feather, and it sounded a little different from the album version. Like a Feather is of course the song that was in the Tommy commercial, and it was great last night too. Highlights of the show for me were So Have I For You (a song co written by the Beastie Boys which used to be my favorite song of Nikka's) and Push and Pull, which Nikka strapped on a guitar for (she told the crowd to sing along if we knew the words, and it was great hearing everyone around me sing it). She also did Tug of War, Everybody Got Their Something and Hope It Felt Good from the album Everybody Got Their Something. The other songs she did from Can'tneverdidnothin' were Fooled Ya Baby, On and On, Swing it Around, and Happy in the Morning. When she started Happy in the Morning, she stuck the microphone out in to the crowd so that we could repeat that one line after her. She was shocked when the crowd started singing the rest of the chorus, and she got this look on her face like, "Holy Shit! They actually know this song too?" Of course everyone was going to know Like a Feather and Everybody Got Their Something, but I think she was pleasantly surprised to see that so many people knew a song from the new record that wasn't even a single.

Nikka had a hard time remembering the words to Swing it Around (which oddly enough is a song that I tend to forget the words to as well) and she messed up at the beginning on the last verse and had to ask one of her guitarist what the next line was. But she just laughed it off. Swing it Around is a great song about men hitting on women, and Nikka said that if the men listened closely it would give them advice on what not to do. She said something to the effect of that if a man wants to get with her, he has to engage her mind first before she'll get interested in his dick (yes she said dick). Although, Nikka is married to producer Justin Stanley, so that doesn't apply to her anymore. She was totally dropping knowledge all night, and was funny as hell. Love Nikka! But the best part of the show was before she started Can'tneverdidnothin'. If you watch the Can'tneverdidnothin clip below, at the beginning she talks about her Georgia connections:

Nikka: ...and nobody in the industry wants to hear that shit, so I do gigs. And it's all live. And thank you so much for coming (crowd cheers)
Nikka: My mom's from Atlanta... (band starts to play) Hold on a second. It's Atlanta I gotta tell the story. My mom's from Atlanta (Loud yells from the crowd)
Nikka: My grandma lives in Conyers (Even Louder yells from the crowd)
Nikka: Is that near here? (some yeahs and nos)
Nikka: It is? Oh shit! (crowd laughs)
Someone from the crowd: She was at the last show
Nikka: She was at the last show, that's right. I brought her up at Lenny Kravitz. She's like 90. (laughs) Anyway, and ugh when I was little my mom used to always say "Can't never did nothing, and neither did couldn't." And I know ya'll know what I'm talking about. So I don't really have to explain it to you. Can'tneverdidnothin!

She did two encores: in the 1st one she did Some Kind of Beautiful and Funkier than a Mosquita's Tweeter, which sounded amazing with the bongo drums at the beginning. She did another song in the 1st encore, but I didn't know what it was. Maybe its from Butterfly Rocket (an album that was only released in Australia and is now out of press). The second encore was Around the World, and it was a perfect song to end the night.

The show ended I guess after midnight. It was fantastic though, and no one has ever impressed me more live than Nikka Costa did Monday night. If she comes to your town, please, please, please go and see her. Even if all you ever listen to is country or punk. I can't imagine anyone going to see her and not having the best time ever. She's great with the crowd, she gives 150% through the whole show, and she makes it clear that she's having a blast up on stage performing.

Sorry to any of you who live in Nashville because Nikka played at Exit Inn last night and you missed out. Big Time. But for everyone else, here are the rest of her fall tour dates. I think DriveBlind is the opening band for all dates. Atlanta was the first night of the tour, so she's not even close to finished rocking out.

Oct. 20: Raleigh, NC (Lincoln Center)
Oct. 21: Black Cat (Washington, DC)
Oct. 22: Canal Room (NY, NY)
Oct. 23: Axis (Boston, MA)
Oct. 24: World Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)
Oct. 26: Magic Bag (Detroit, MI)
Oct. 27: Rave II (Milwaukee, WI)
Oct. 28: Club Majestic (Madison, WI)
Oct. 29: Double Door (Chicago, IL)
Nov. 1: Bluebird (Denver, CO)
Nov. 3: The Clubhouse (Phoenix, AZ)
Nov. 4: Roxy Theater (Los Angeles, CA)
Nov. 6: The Independent (San Francisco, CA)

Here are links to the video clips. Now, all of the bad singing you hear is from the crowd and myself. Nikka was perfect.

Til I Get To U
Like a Feather
So Have I For You
Can'tneverdidnothin'

And here are a couple of tracks from the new record. Since I already posted some in August, here are a few different ones. Again, if you like what you hear, get her records. You'll love every song. ?uestlove played drums on Happy in the Morning, Lenny Kravitz played drums on On and On, and Lenny also played drums and bass on Fooled Ya Baby.

(from Can'tneverdidnothin')
Nikka Costa- Happy in the Morning
Nikka Costa- Fooled Ya Babby
Nikka Costa- On and On

We can start this dream again, we can have it all

Aviator hasn't been around for a long time. As a matter of fact, I don't think they have an official website yet, and I only found out about them through myspace. The group got together just a few months ago when guitarist Casey Yarbrough and bassist Hilary Yarbrough (I think they're husband and wife) went on hiatus from their other band the Rolling Sixties. They were looking for other musicians to fill out the rhythm section of their side project, and were happy when they learned that bassist Robert Heublein and drummer Harry Baxley were also taking a break from their band, 1000 Fires. And so Aviator was born.

There are two songs that you can download on their myspace page. My favorite is Villain. I also love the fact that they have both Maura Davis (Denali/Bella Lea) and Keely Davis (Denali/Engine Down) in their top 8. Bands with good taste in music are usually pretty awesome. So take a listen.

Aviator-Villain

If God has a master plan, that only He understands, I hope it's your eyes He's seeing through

I once had a massive crush on a guy who's a HUGE Depeche Mode fan. He was really cute, funny, and very sweet. He listened to The Smiths, New Order, and The Cure, but Depeche Mode was by far his favorite band. He even boasted that when he was a kid, he attended the big Rosebowl show the band did back in 1988, and swore that if you looked closely at the video of the concert, you could see his face in the crowd.

I was really surprised when I found myself crushing on this guy, especially since my first impression of him wasn't that great. He looked like one of those guys that hung around clubs trying to look cooler than they actually were, feeding corny lines to girls until one was foolish enough to fall for them. And he also looked like he'd have really bad taste in music. I knew that we'd never get along. But then one day, I was humming a Smiths song, and he started to sing the lyrics word for word. And I was shocked. Turns out that we listened to a lot of the same bands, and there was a lot more to him than I initially thought.

I've always wondered what people's first impressions of Depeche Mode were. One of my friends used to make fun of me for liking Speak and Spell era Depeche Mode (Dreaming of Me, New Life, etc.) because she said it all sounded like video game music. She was more a fan of songs like Never Let Me Down and Enjoy the Silence, which I suppose are less arcade sounding than the "video game" Depeche Mode tracks she couldn't stand.

But the thing about most of the songs from Speak and Spell is that they were written by Vince Clarke. I think Martin Gore only wrote Big Muff and Tora! Tora! Tora! and co-wrote Just Can't Get Enough with Vince. It's kind of frightening to think of all of the songs we may not have if Martin hadn't taken over on songwriting duties for the band when Vince left in 1981. But I don't think anyone can say that all of those great lyrics and catchy hooks weren't already in Martin Gore's head. He just needed the opportunity to get them out for everyone to hear.

With each album they put out, Depeche Mode seemed to get better. Their music became more introspective, more personal, more emotional. This seems like a natural progression of course, but it always amazes me when I see bands taking more steps backwards than forwards. Thankfully, Depeche Mode hasn't done that.

I've always thought that Dave Gahan had one of the most amazing voices in music. Sure there are people who sing better, but the bold and demanding quality of Dave's vocals grab onto you at the beginning of a song, and won't let go until the end. He sings with such confidence, that you expect every line to be some sort of proclamation. Maybe they are. With Martin Gore's writing style, you know that there isn't a word wasted in a Depeche Mode song.

Most people think that Violator is the quintessential Depeche Mode record (Carlos D once said it's the best record to have sex to). But even on your least favorite DM record, you still have those songs that hit you with an intense honesty and a passionate assurance. And isn't that what we love about this band?

The new Depeche Mode record, Playing the Angel, comes out on Tuesday. The band will kick off their North American tour in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on November 2nd. The first single from the record is called Precious. It seems that whenever I get into the car and turn on the radio, this song is playing. I absolutely love that.

Depeche Mode- Precious

If you just can't wait until Tuesday to hear the rest of the record, you can listen to it on the bands myspace page here. It's good. Really REALLY good. How did we ever get along without myspace?

Now for some of my favorite Depeche Mode tracks. It was hard to pick just a few, so that's why you're gonna get a whole bunch.

Depeche Mode- New Life (from Speak and Spell)
Depeche Mode- Stripped (from Black Celebration)
Depeche Mode- Everything Counts (from 101)
Depeche Mode- Sweetest Perfection (from Violator)
Depeche Mode- Condemnation (from Songs of Faith and Devotion) *preach brotha Dave*
Depeche Mode- Barrel of a Gun (from Ultra)
Depeche Mode- Shine (from Exciter)

Here are a few great covers of some Depeche Mode favorites. I totally forgot how amazing Tori Amos' cover of Enjoy the Silence is. And don't even get me started on the Placebo cover. They rocked the hell out of I Feel You.

Originals
(from Violator)
Depeche Mode- Enjoy The Silence
Depeche Mode- Personal Jesus
Depeche Mode- Clean

Depeche Mode- To Have and To Hold (from Music For the Masses)
Depeche Mode- I Feel You (from Songs of Faith and Devotion)

Covers
Tori Amos- Enjoy the Silence (from Strange Little Girls)
Johnny Cash- Personal Jesus (from American IV: The Man Comes Around)
Converge- Clean (from Deeper the Wound) *Yeah, the hardcore Converge*
Deftones- To Have and To Hold (from For The Masses) *You suck if you pass this one up*
Placebo- I Feel You (from Black Market Music) *If you don't listen to this, you're missing out BIG TIME*

So what did we learn today children? Depeche Mode kicks ass. But you already knew that. Indoor Fireworks posted some cool Depeche Mode mixes last week, so you should give them a listen.

Oh, and as far as the guy that I had a crush on. Well I never knew for sure if he liked me even remotely and I was far too shy and easily embarrassed to find out. But whenever I hear a Depeche Mode song, I always think about him. Just the other day (Tuesday) my mom and I were at the grocery store and People are People came on over the speakers. And I wondered if he was hearing it whenever he was.

Official Depeche Mode site
Depeche Mode on Myspace
Violator (all female Depeche Mode Cover Band)

I'm not the one you want babe, I'm not the one you need

I found this cool cover over at Muruch: M.I.A. covering' the Kaiser Chiefs song Everyday I love You Less and Less. But the best part is that Maya does the song over the beat for Sean Paul's Deport Them. Yes it's as awesome as it sounds. Deport Them is pre Dutty Rock Sean Paul, and it's good. Makes me want to wave my West Indian flags in the air carnival style.

M.I.A.- Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Kaiser Chiefs- Everyday I Love You Less and Less (from Employment)
Sean Paul- Deport Them (from Stage 1)

There's new Franz Ferdinand, Metric, and The Strokes over at Moroccan Role so give a listen (if you haven't heard them yet). Metric actually played here last night, but I didn't go. I've been slacking on going to shows lately, although I'll probably be going to see Nikka Costa on Monday. Calla and Gang of Four played in the same building on Saturday (one upstairs, the other downstairs) and I didn't go to either one. Michelle saw Gang of Four in Athens Friday night and said that they rocked the hell out. Apparently the R.E.M. boys were also there, and so again I've missed another chance to see Michael Stipe in person. Will it ever happen? Who knows. But probably not since the only time I've been back to Athens since graduation was for M.I.A. at the 40 Watt. Speaking of R.E.M., did guys here about the original members playing at a wedding this past Saturday?

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix were on Oprah on Monday. So was Ricky Martin, but we don't so much care about him. Anyway, I think I'm developing a crush on Joaquin, and I'm excited about seeing his gorgeous mug all over the place in the next couple of months. Did you know that he's been vegan since the age of three? Interesting fun fact!. Anyway, Walk the Line comes out November 18th (although who knows when I'll actually see it). Both played their own instruments and sang all the songs in the movie, which is really impressive since Joaquin said that he never even hummed in the shower before he started working on the movie. All together they recorded 26 songs for the movie, which is really amazing. On Oprah, they showed a lot of clips from the film, and Reese and Joaquin had to actually perform in front of 3,000 people. I would've been terrified. It'll be interesting to see what the soundtrack sounds like. It comes out November 15th. Here are the tracks:

"Get Rhythm," Joaquin Phoenix
"I Walk the Line," Joaquin Phoenix
"Wildwood Flower," Reese Witherspoon
"Lewis Boogie Blues," Waylon Payne
"Ring of Fire," Joaquin Phoenix
"You're My Baby," Johnathan Rice
"Cry Cry Cry," Joaquin Phoenix
"Folsom Prison Blues," Joaquin Phoenix
"That's All Right," Tyler Hilton
"Juke Box Blues," Reese Witherspoon
"It Ain't Me Babe," Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon
"Home of the Blues," Joaquin Phoenix
"Milk Cow Blues," Tyler Hilton
"I'm a Long Way From Home," Shooter Jennings
"Cocaine Blues," Joaquin Phoenix
"Jackson," Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon

I saw Clay Pigeons this weekend on Bravo. It's a movie Joaquin did back in 1998 with Janeane Garofalo and Vince Vaughn. I haven't seen Joaquin in too many movies (Gladiator and Inventing the Abbots are the other two I've seen) but he's definitely come into his own. Now when I hear his name, I think, "Great actor", and not "River's brother."

I think I had a point to all this...oh yeah. So when watching the show, I remembered something I read in Newsweek last month when I was serving jury duty. There was a piece done on Joaquin and he talked about how he met Johnny Cash five years ago at a party. Johnny played a song on his guitar for everyone and June sang along. And then I guess Johnny was getting ready to leave, and he came up to Joaquin and said, "I really loved that Gladiator. I really like the way you say, 'Your wife moaned like a whore as they ravaged her again and again.' "

Ok, so it's one thing to meet Johnny Cash. It's also one thing to have him tell you that he likes one of your movies. But having him actually quote a line you said word for word is pretty awesome. I'm sure Joaquin was never more flattered.

Maybe he's just a really modest person, but Joaquin said that just preparing to make the movie ( learning how to sing and play guitar, learning more about Johnny) was reward enough for him, and that anything that might happen afterwards (The Golden Globe or the Oscar) is just like icing on the cake. The more clips I see from this movie, and the more people talk about it, the more I think that it's going to be amazing. I'm totally jealous that Oprah's audience got to see it more than a month before everyone else does. Oh well

Here's a song from June and Johnny.

Johnny Cash and June Carter- It Ain't Me Babe (from Carryin' On)

And now, a hot picture of Joaquin. So what if this whole post was just an excuse to show you his picture. Sue me.

Edit: 2:41 pm
Wow. 17 of you have already downloaded the M.I.A. track and it's only been up for a few hours. Does that mean you like it?

One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

I've been looking for some black boots. I didn't want them to have really chunky heels or stiletto heels. And I already have 20 eye docs, so I didn't want those either. I also didn't want to pay an arm and leg either. Thursday, I found the perfect ones when I was at the mall with my mom.

I also got them in brown. And yes I do have on shorts. You just can't see them. Get your minds out of the gutter people!

My most recent purchase made me think of the Nancy Sinatra song. And like usual, I wondered how many other people had covered that song. When I do these covers posts, I'm always really surprised with the kind of covers I find. We all know that Jessica Simpson covered These Boots Were Made for Walkin for The Dukes of Hazzard remake. But who would've thought that Megadeth would have a cover of this song as well. And Crispin Glover. And KMFDM?

Apparently when Nancy Sinatra first started recording music, her first couple of singles didn't do very well. But then she teamed up with producer Lee Hazlewood and arranger Billy Strange. They told her to lower her voice and toughen her delivery. The two men created material for her that emphasized go-go tempos and heavy basslines. One of the first songs they came up with was These Boots Are Made for Walkin' and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are the many different versions of the Nancy Sinatra classic. First, here are Nancy's version as well as Lee Hazzlewood's. Lee's version is really interesting, 'cause he kind of tells the story of how the song was written in between the verses.

Nancy Sinatra- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Boots)
Lee Hazzlewood- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from The Very Special World of Lee Hazzlewood)

Here are the rest:

Crispin Glover- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Big Problems Does Not Equal the Solution)
Geri Halliwell- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Bag it Up)
KMFDM- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Boots)
Jessica Simpson- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Dukes of Hazzard)
Loretta Lynn- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Honky Tonk Girl: The Loretta Lynn Collection)
Megadeth- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Killing is my Business...and Business is Good!)
Nick Cave & The Boys Next Door- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Boy Hero/These Boots single)
Operation Ivy- These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
The Ventures- These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (from Go with the Ventures)

I really wanted to post Lil Kim's version of These Boots which is the theme song for the reality show Growing Up Gotti on A&E. But I couldn't find it anywhere. I still can't believe that she's actually in jail. Anyway, if you want to write to Lil Kim here's here address in the big house.

Kimberly Jones / 56198-054
FDC PHILADELPHIA
FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER
P.O. BOX 562
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106

I just don't know for sure

When I mentioned on my LJ that I was going to see Bloc Party, Tal asked if The Noisettes were opening, because they had opened for Bloc Party in New York. I said that I didn't know, and asked her what the sounded like. Tal said, "the singer reminds me of Leila from The Duke Spirit, and they kind of remind me of early PJ Harvey. The singer is nuts though. She did a cartwheel with the mic in her mouth Karen O style!" Of course I had to listen to this band immediately.

When I went to their site, I was surprised to learn that there is a band from Athens, GA also called the Noisettes (I've never heard of them which is kind of strange). Funny huh? Anywho, the track Don't Give Up was available for download on their site, so I gave it a listen to. It's fucking awesome and so you should listen to it too.

The Noisettes- Don't Give Up

The Noisettes are Shingai Shoniwa (bass/vocals), Dan Smith (guitar) and Jamie Morrison (drums). They're from the UK but I can't say that I've heard of any other UK band that sounds anything like them. NME said that they're, "the best kept secret in Rock 'N' Roll." The band was recently in Los Angeles for three months recording songs for their upcoming album. It will be out sometime next year, February at the earliest.

The few Noisettes reviews I've read have all mentioned that Shingai has a great blues rock voice. One reviewer even said that she has "the ability to wail and shout like a female Robert Plant for the post-punk generation." So even if you're not a Led Zeppelin fan, you've gotta admit that Robert Plant could do some really amazing things vocally. And so can Shingai.

I was gonna be super awesome and give you two more tracks from their four song EP, Three Moods of the Noisettes. But then I thought it was too good for people NOT to buy immediately. I only heard one song of theirs before ordering it. So after listening to Don't Give Up, your next action should be pretty obvious. However, don't be fooled into thinking that the rest of the EPs songs sound like the first one.

The second track, Monte Christo, stands in great contrast to the chaotic style of Don't Give Up. On Monte Christo, Shingai definitely demonstrates the "sultry purrs and jazz diva scats" that she's loved for. With Dan backing her up on vocals and playing acoustic guitar, the song almost feels as though it could've been played during the time of the actual Monte Cristo.

Signs and Burn are also great tracks and the EP even has the video for Don't Give Up. The video is the next best thing we have to seeing them live, and gives a small look into how energetic their shows must be.

If you like what you've heard so far, I urge you, beg you, PLEAD with you to go and pick up Three Moods of the Noisettes. Pretty Please?

They say it's your birthday

Today is my birthday! I'm 24 years old. Don't worry if you didn't know before. I'll still accept presents throughout the rest of the year. I share this birthday with Susan Sarandon, Rachael Leigh Cook, Buster Keaton, Charlton Heston, Anne Rice, Jackie Collins, Russel Simmons, Liev Schreiber, Patti LaBelle, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Alicia Silverstone. Here are some other things that have happened on October 4th in the past

On October 4th of....

1824, Mexico becomes a republic

1895, The first U.S. Open Golf tournament was held in Newport, Rhode Island

1931, the comic strip Dick Tracey by Chester Gould debuted

1941, Anne Rice was born

1957, the television sitcom Leave it to Beaver debuted on CBS and the Soviet Union launches Sputnik I

1970, Janis Joplin Died of a heroin overdose at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood. She was 27

1965, Pope Paul VI became the 1st Pope to visit the Western Hemisphere

1988, televangelist Jim Bakker was indicted on federal charges of mail and wire fraud and of conspiring to defraud the public

According to This day in Music, the # 1 song in America on the day I was born was Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. The # 1 song in the UK was Prince Charming by Adam and the Ants. Is it weird that I have both The Essential Adam Ant and Lionel Richie: The Definitive Collection?

Adam and the Ants- Prince Charming
Lionel Richie and Diana Ross- Endless Love

Ok, now for the birthday songs! Here are different renditions of the traditional song.

Babyshambles performing Happy Birthday to Mick Jones
Janis Joplin singing Happy Birthday and Happy Trails
Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to President Kennedy
The Ramones singing Happy Birthday to Mr. Burns on The Simpsons

And here are some other happy birthday songs

Altered Images- Happy Birthday (from I Could Be Happy)
The Beatles- Birthday (from The White Album)
The Birthday Party- Happy Birthday (from Hits)
Jimmy Hendrix- Happy Birthday (from The Summer of Love Sessions)
Stevie Wonder- Happy Birthday (from Hotter Than July)

This was me at my 2nd birthday party. Who let me stand on the chair like that by myself? At least I had enough sense to hold on to the back :)

I Used to Love H.E.R.

The beauty of this song is that you don't realize what it's really about until it's almost over. But it makes just as much sense afterwards as it did in the beginning.

Common- I Used to Love Here (from Resurrection)

I met this girl when I was ten years old
And What I loved most she had so much soul
She was old school, when I was just a shorty
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me
On the regular, not a church girl she was secular
Not about the money, no studs was mic checkin her
But I respected her, she hit me in the heart
A few New York niggas had did her in the park
But she was there for me, and I was there for her
Pull out a chair for her, turn on the air for her
And just cool out, cool out and listen to her
Sittin on bone, wishin that I could do her
Eventually if it was meant to be, then it would be
Because we related, physically and mentally
And she was fun then, I'd be geeked when she'd come around
Slim was fresh yo, when she was underground
Original, pure, untampered, a down sister
Boy I tell ya, I miss her